Automatic train-stopper.



G. D. TISDALE, DEOD. r. LDTISDALE, ADMINISTRATOR.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1907.

.. @M 1% m f a nn 5 Q d H 4 W A @m N m W Mn H 2 l f I A m w e L H 2 a MG. D. TISDALE, DEOD. r. L. TISDALE, ADMINISTRATOR. AUTOMATIC TRAINSTOPPEE. AITPLIOATION FILED MAY 16, 1907.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@ZMMJQA D. 1 56410629 4 Hls arm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES D. TISDALE, OF RANDOLPH.

MASSACHUSETTS; FRANK L. TISDALE ADMINIS' TRATOR OF SAID CHARLES D.TISDALE,

DECEASED.

. AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed May 16, 1907 Serial No. 374,007.

of Randolph, in the county of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticTrain-Stoppers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of this invention is the construction of improved meanswhereby a single car or a train of cars will be automatically stop edwhenever it comes upon a section or b ock of track occupied by anothercar, or upon a section wherein a switch is set for a wrong track.

Referring to toe drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1is a diagram of a section of railway track arranged in accordance withmy invention, and showi the automatic stoppin device the section eing ofa double-track ine. Fig.2 is a diagram of a section of track and switcharranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 shows a single trackline arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 is a sidesectional view of a locomotive showing my invention applied thereto.Fig. 5 is a detail view of a stopping device embodying my improvements.Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the insulating means.

In said drawings, 1 and 2 designate the ht and left hand rails .of arailroad, each of ich is arranged in sections of preferably one mile inlength suitably bonded, but eac such section insulated one from anotheras indicated at 3 and 4. At an end of each section is located a lengthof rail 5, preferably between the rails as shown, the forward extremityof which is wired to the rail 1 at a point in advance of the insulation3; said insulation being ahead of the forward end of said length of rail5, while the insulation 4 in the rail 2 is behind the rear end of therail 5.

Carried by the locomotive or other propellin member of a train of carsare the devices y means of which I design to stop the train, and thebatteries or other currentsource for actuating said devices.

The means for sto ping the train are preferably a small electric motordisposed, when energized, to open a valve in t e airbrake system and byputting on the brakes to either bring the trainto a stand-still, or by apartial efiect in such direction to warn the moving thereon,

, shown as brought engineer of the necessity of stopping the train.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the battery cells 10 have one terminal wired toa brush 11 contactin with an axle of certain of the locomo-- tive weels, or in an circuit with the trac -rail 2. The other terminal of saidcells is wired to the. electric motor 12, and the latter with a brush 20preferably held by a beamof the pilot or cow-catcher of the locomot've,and in a position to contact with the rail 5. When the locomotivereaches a oint to bring said brush 20 in touch with-t e rail 5, thecurrent from the battery 10 flows through the motor windings 12, brush20', rail 5, wire 6, rail 1, the wheels and axle 14 of any car which maybe standing or moving in any part of the mile-section the rail 2, wheels13 and brush 11 back to the other terminal of the'battery. The motor 12being thus energized, the sto ping device 0 erated by the same will ecaused to set t e brakes, and the train soon brought to rest. In thisway the unknown movement of two trains in. a single block is madeimpossible, and all collisions prevented.

In the showing of a double-track system in Fig. 1, it will be seen thatthe wire 6 from the rail 5 is at the front end of the latter in eachcase,- although it makes no difference as to which of the track-rails 1or 2 said wire is connected with, provided the insulation 3 is in saidtrack-rail in advance of the rail 5, and the insulation 4 is located inthe other trackrail behind the rail 5.

On the track whereon an arrow points toward the left, in Fig. 1, andwhich arrow indicates the direction of travel of the trains V a rail orbar 15 isrepresented as laid across from rail to rail, as 1s so oftendone by train-Wreckers. Such rail or bar-being a good conductor ofelectricity, the

instant an approaching locomotive reaches! the block-section containingsuch obstruction, warning is given thereby rccisely as in the case of atrain as describe above.

Warning of an open switch is given in the same way, as shown in Fig, 2.Here a switch 7 is illustrated as open upon the main line, and theapproaching trains in danger of entering a siding or spur trackcontaining freight 01' passenger cars. 5 ich switch is into contact witha fixed cont'aot-blockS wiredto the rail '1 and hence the moment anapproaching locomotive other manner put into reaches the contact-rail 5,the circuit is completed as above described, and the Warning given. Toprevent such switch from interfering with the warning-actionfrom a trainbeyond it, a wire 19 may be run about it, as shown.

For a single track line where the trains traverse the same in bothdirections, 1 provide two contact-rails 5 and 5 at each end-of a blocksection, as shown in Fig. 3, both at equal distances from the middle ofthe track, and the brush 20 being correspondingly carried by thelocomotive, in order that-when a train travels in one direction suchbrush will touch the contact-rail 5 alone, and when moving in theopposite direction, the brush will touch the contact-rail 5" alone. Itwill,

be observed that the wires 6 join the front ends of the contact-rails ineach case, to the nearer track-rail.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 5, the electric motor 12 isshown as having its armature brushes 46, 46 as in the direct circuitbetween the battery 10 and the brush 20. WVhile this is entirelypractical, in the case of very fast trains the brush 20 is liable tohave traversed the entire length of a contact-rail 5 and the circuitagain broken before the motor 12 has had time to overcome its inertiaand rotate enough to operate the brake-valve. This can be obviated, ofcourse, by lengthening the contact-rails; but for railroads ex tendingseveral thousand miles, this is somewhat expensive. The most economicalmethod of overcoming such objection is that illustrated in Fig. 5,wherein the armature brushes are-wired in direct circuit with thebatteries 10, but which circuit is normally open but adapted to beclosed whenever the brush 20 and wheels 13 are put in circuit as byanother train in the block-section. As

. shown, the armature brush 46 is wired to the contact 43 through thelead 45, and the brush 46 is joined by the wire 47 to one pole of thebattery-cells 10. The other pole of said cells is connected bythe wire49 to the light switch 41 normally in touch with the contact 42 andadapted to be thrown by the electromagnet 40 into touch with the contact43 where said switch remains until returned to its normal position byhand, there being no spring or other means for causing it to leave saidcontact 43. Said electromagnet is joined by a 'wire 44 to the contact42, and by a wire 48 to the brush 20. Hence, whenever the main circuitis closed by the passage of the brush 20 along the contact-rail 5, andsome distant train, theelectromagnet 40 is energized and instantlythrows the switch 41 over into touch with 'the contact 43. This )ositionof the switch completes the circuit between the battery cells and thearmature brushes, and sets the motor 12 in action. The latter, throughits shaft 34, worm 33 thereon, worm gear 3;, and cock 31 actuated .tor12 and the air brakes set.

thereby, lets the air into the air-brake pipe 30 and so sets the brakes.

The insulations 3 and 4 maybe formed as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7;where 50 indicate the fish-plates, and 51 the bolts for securing thesame to the rail ends. Between each fish-plate and the sides of therails is located a sheet of insulating material 52, and about each bolt51 is a collar 53 of insulating material,'the length of each such collarnot requiring to bemore than enough to keep the bolt from contact withthe rail-Web. Between the rail-ends isdriven a thin block of insulatingmaterial 55, as shown in Fig. 7.

A locomotive and train, whether run by steam or electricity, 'or asingle high speed trolley car, equipped with above described devices,and the track correspondingly disposed, when its brush 20 reaches thecontact-rail 5 of a block-section is not affected in case there is noother train upon such section, or no obstruction as 15 lying across therails, or any switch-7-left open; but in case either of suchcontingencies arises, the electromagnet 40 is energized and the currentfrom the battery-cells 10 switched to the mo- The train being thusbrought to a full or partial stop, the engineer then returns the switch41 into touch with the contact 42, after having allowed the motor torevolve enough to again bring the cock 31 to its normal closed.position; for I prefer to employ a cock for this purpose which has nostop but can revolve moving train, the same will probably have gone onagain and left the preceding. block entirely free for the cautiouslyapproaching warned train.

Inasmuch as by means of the sensitive switch 41 the contact-rails 5 canbe quite short, almost mere blocks, the latter may be located at morefrequent intervals than a mile apart without materially increasing theexpense of my train stopping system.

What I claim as my invention and for which I desire Letters Patent is asfollows, to wit 1. The combination with a' railway and a piece ofrolling stock thereon, of a brush, operating devices and a source ofcurrent all carried by said rolling stock, said currentsonrce being inelectrical connection with said brush, operating device and thetrackrails, each track-rail being provided with insulation at pointslocated at substantially equal distances at art, but withthe insulationin one trac li-rail a limited distance ahead of, the insulation in itsneighboring rail, and a contact member located between each pair ofneighboring insnlatioi-is both laterally and longitudinally andositioned front end to the section of,track-rail ahead of the insulationwhich is itself. aheadof said, member.

.2. The combination with a railway and a piece of rolling stock thereon,of a brush, operating devices and a source of current all carried bysaid rolling stock, said currentsource being in electrical connectionwith said brush, operatin device and the track-.

' rails, each track-rail eing provided with in-' sulation at pointslocated at substantially equal distances apart but with the insulationin one track-rail a limited distance ahead of the neighboring insulationin the other trackrail, and two contact members located be tween eachpair of neighborin insulations both laterally and longitudina y, andpositioned so that one Wlll be swept by. said brush when. the saidrollin stock is moving in one direction and the other when the rollingstock is op ositely moving, and each contact member eing wired at itsfront end to the nearer section of track-rail ahead of the insulationwhich is itself ahead of said member.

3. The combination with a railway and a piece of rolling stock thereon,of a fixed contact wired to one of the track-rails, a brush carried bythe rolling stock in a position to sweep said contact, a source ofelectricity having one pole in connection with the wheels of the rollingstock, an electric motor, an air brake pipe, a valve admittin airthereto means enabling the rotation 0 said motor to open said valve, aswitch finger in electric connection connected with said source, a pairof contacts one of which is wired to one of the armature brushes ofsaid.

motor, an electroma et adapted when energized to throw sai finger intotouch with the last-namedcontact, an electric connection betweenthe-other of said contacts and said electrom at, an electric connectionbetween said e ectromagnet and the first- .named brush, andelectricconnection between the other of the armature brushes and the first-namedpole of said source.

4. In a train stopper, the combination of a locomotive having a brushfixed to its ilot, a source of electricity having one pole in electricconnection with the wheels of the locomotive, an electric motor having aworm gear on its shaft, an air brake, a valve controlling the airthereto, a Worm gear fixed to said valve and meshing with said worm, aswitch finger in electric connection with the pole of said source ofcurrent not in connection with said wheels, a pair of contacts one ofwhich is wired to one of the armature brushes of said motor, anelectromagnet A. B. UPHAM, I EDWARD F. CoLLrNs.

